WILLIAMS LAKE – An unprecedented spate of wildfires that erupted across the central Interior in early July has put ranchers throughout BC on tenterhooks, wondering what the remainder of the summer will bring. Dry lightning west of Williams Lake sparked more than 140 wildfires on July 7 alone, faster than the BC Wildfire Service could …
NEWS
Poultry abuse underscores need to measure up
CHILLIWACK – Another horrific case of livestock abuse uncovered by the activist group Mercy for Animals highlights gaps in the farm sector’s animal protection protocols. A video delivered to the BC SPCA on June 9 and released to media June 12 shows chicken catchers from Elite Farm Services Ltd. abusing poultry at various farms in …
Abbotsford seeks exclusion to boost industrial land
ABBOTSFORD – Abbotsford has taken a proposal to exclude a total of 696 acres from the Agricultural Land Reserve to the public. The land is meant to recharge an industrial land base of 2,069 acres that is nearly exhausted, thanks to an outflow of industrial users from Metro Vancouver – many of which are now …
Emergency plan critical for livestock owners
OLIVER – When wildfires get out of control, the consequences for people, livestock and property can be devastating. Having a livestock evacuation plan is critical to saving time and possibly lives. The Animal Lifeline Emergency Response Team (ALERT) Society is a volunteer organization based in the South Okanagan that’s ready to respond and animals need …
Greenhouse growers propose infrastructure project
The BC Greenhouse Growers’ Association (BCGGA) has ongoing concerns around the availability of good, clean water for our greenhouses. During the water shortage and drought in the summer of 2015, agriculture minister Norm Letnick was quoted in the August issue of Country Life in BC saying that “commercial greenhouses and other large agricultural water users …
Accident claims safety advocate
QUESNEL – It was a sunny Friday evening as Mike Bailey, a long-time advocate of farm safety, was driving a tractor with equipment attached along Hwy 97 south of Quesnel. A pick-up truck driven by his wife, Katina, followed to ensure separation from other motorists. Shortly after 5 pm, a Greyhound bus bore down on …